EPISCOPAL SERVICE CORPS INTERNSHIP

Over 11 months (September 1st through July 31st), the Abundant Table provides hands-on training in agriculture to young adult interns (ages 21 to 30) to support healthier social, economic, ecological, and environmental systems.

Artwork by intern Angela Schultz.

Internships address the following topics:

Sustainably grown food.

Interns learn the skills and techniques for growing food organically in the urban and rural settings that comprise Ventura County. In the field, interns are introduced to a range of farming methods and designs, as well as methods for assessing and planning for the needs and yields of a particular climate and place. This shared education also provides interns an experience with alternative farming techniques.

Food injustice within larger social, economic, racial and political contexts and movements.

Interns learn the issues affecting access to fresh food in Ventura County and explore the social, political, and economic implications of the great food disparity of our time. Seminars address local and global threats to food safety and sovereignty, as well as statewide and national policies that shape our current food realities. Interns also learn about other organizations working to address issues of food injustice in Ventura County, California and beyond.

Building self-sufficiency in ourselves and in our communities.

Interns learn essential skills for creating farm-based products to support the nutritional, and functional needs of our communities. These classes may include any of the following hands-on workshops: farm to school education, bee keeping, cooking, herbal medicine, fermenting, bread making, soap making and canning. We explore these skills as they relate to ideas of sovereignty, anti-consumerism, community-building and empowerment, and resource-sharing.

Communal Living

Interns live together in housing near the farm in a spirit of intentional Christian living. They work together, learn together and often spend rest days and holidays together. Living communally creates rich opportunities for developing communication skills, appreciating differences and resolving conflicts. The Abundant Table staff provide mentorship to interns through community-building exercises, regular community meetings, job shadowing, celebrations, worship and other programs. We explore perspectives and practices—old and new—that are grounded in the core values of love, justice and compassion, so that we may more fully manifest them in our lives.

Benefits:

Housing

Monthly stipend minus taxes

Health insurance

Vacation time

Access to the produce grown

Three to four retreats over the course of the year

Please note: This internship includes strenuous work, demanding schedules, little vacation, and the need for good communication skills owing to numerous community engagement and speaking opportunities.

To apply:

Submit an initial application through the Episcopal Service Corps website: https://esc.hiretouch.com/ Mark “Abundant Table Farm Project” in your process and answer the essay questions in relation to your interest in the farm project.

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Local veggies for Standing Rock!
"A lot of us in the younger generations don’t think the old business models are working,” Lesh said. “We don’t think that these companies have the right to put profit first, and we can learn from situations like this. We can follow the lead of the Standing Rock Sioux to protect the land."